Hyderabad: Former Prime Minister of India and economist Manmohan Singh passed away in New Delhi on Thursday (December 26, 2024). He was 92. Singh was admitted to the emergency department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital where he breathed his last late evening.
A globally acclaimed economist, Manmohan Singh served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. Known for being softspoken, erudite and modest, Singh exited public life with his retirement from the Rajya Sabha in April this year, slipping out of politics as quietly and without ceremony perhaps as he entered it 33 years ago.
Life and Education
Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah (part of Punjab in Pakistan now), Singh’s academic excellence and distinguished career made him one of India's most respected leaders.
He was arguably the politician with the most impressive academic achievements. Singh earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Punjab University, followed by a Master's degree in Economics from the same institution. He then went on to earn a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University, where he was a member of Nuffield College.
Before entering politics, Singh had a distinguished career as an economist and academician. He served as a lecturer at Punjab University and later as a professor at the Delhi School of Economics. He also worked with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
A distinguished career
The man who famously spoke of studying under the dim light of kerosene lamps in his village without electricity and went on to become a storied academic was the copybook reluctant politician, almost stumbling into the rough and tumble of mainstream politics.
He was hailed for putting India on the road to liberalisation in the early 1990s. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha for the first time in October 1991 and was re-elected for five more terms.
Singh was finance minister in the Narasimha Rao-led Congress government and continued in his post till 1996. He went on to become prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Sonia Gandhi declined requests from the Congress to become prime minister and named Singh instead, their partnership steering the country’s ship for a decade till the BJP won in 2014.
The six-term Rajya Sabha MP, however, could never become a member of the lower house. Singh contested only one Lok Sabha election from the South Delhi constituency in 1999 and was defeated by BJP’s Vijay Kumar Malhotra. His stint in the upper house was continuous, except for a two-month gap in 2019 when he was given a Rajya Sabha berth from Rajasthan.
Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from Assam for five continuous terms, from October 1, 1991, to June 14, 2019, and thereafter, was again elected to the House from Rajasthan after a short gap. He was a member of Rajasthan from August 20, 2019, and his term ended on April 3.
Singh was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from March 21, 1998, to May 21, 2004. He was also the leader of the house when he was the prime minister between 2004 and 2014.
During the fag end of his tenure as PM in 2014, Singh had said, “I honestly hope history would be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in Parliament.”
Of late, he had not been keeping good health and was often seen attending Rajya Sabha proceedings, especially during crucial voting, in a wheelchair.
During the farewell for retiring members in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Singh’s role as a member of the upper house and said his contributions would never be forgotten. Modi also noted that he came to vote while being in a wheelchair, and he did so to strengthen democracy.
His vision drove India’s economic turnaround
Known not only for his vision that led India to become an economic powerhouse, Manmohan Singh was also recognised for his hard work and his humble, soft-spoken demeanour and many considered him a man of thought and integrity.
India’s 14th prime minister presided over a decade of growth and development. Under his stewardship, India witnessed the highest growth rate averaging 7.7 per cent to become a nearly USD 2 trillion economy when he helped it catapult into an economic power and helped raise the living standard of millions.
At the core of Singh’s idea of India was the belief in not just high growth but ensuring inclusive growth, which was enshrined in the passage of several key legislations that ensured citizens the legal Right to Food, Right to Education, Right to Work and the Right to Information.
India’s growth story under him began when the public servant and bureaucrat Singh turned into a politician and during his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991-1996 he scripted several bold economic reforms.
“No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come. I suggest to this august House that the emergence of India as a major economic power in the world happens to be one such idea,” Singh said while ending his iconic budget speech in Parliament in July 1991, thus ushering in a new era and the emergence of India as an economic power.
His entry into politics was marked by his appointment as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1982. He later served as the Finance Minister of India from 1991 to 1996, during which he implemented significant economic reforms that liberalized India's economy and helped stimulate growth.
In 2004, Singh became the Prime Minister of India, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. During his tenure, he focused on promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving education and healthcare. Some of his notable initiatives include the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act (RTI).
Awards
Throughout his career, Singh has received numerous awards and honours for his contributions to economics and politics. These include the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, and honorary degrees from several universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
Commitment to a prosperous and equitable India
Despite facing several challenges during his tenure, including the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the 2G spectrum scam, Singh remained committed to his vision of a more prosperous and equitable India. His leadership style, characterized by humility, integrity, and a commitment to consensus-building, earned him widespread respect across party lines.
His legacy as a statesman, economist, and leader remains unparalleled, and his contributions to India's growth and development will be remembered for generations to come.
